Bad Dreams
by Lena the Dreamer
Summary: After Tessa is attacked by a demon that makes you live your worst nightmares, and no Silent Brothers or Magnus Bane to turn to, Will has to figure out a way to save her.
1. Chapter 1

There was a gleam in her eyes. Tessa blinked as she gazed at the silent brother who was conversing with Consul Charlotte Fairchild before the Clave. She blinked again but the gleam did not leave the parchment robes. She looked up at the sunlight streaming in from the windows up above. That was it, she thought, It must be the sun. But she still couldn't shake the cold feeling on the back of her neck. She shrugged it off as Will turned towards her.

"Are you sure they're alright? The children, I mean." Will asked her worriedly. Tessa smiled at him. It was Tessa's first outing after Lucy was born and she was desperate for serious adult company.

"Bridget said Chrissy was completely competent and they would be perfectly fine," Tessa assured him, "I am confident that they will not be baked into a pie or pushed into a fire." Chrissy was the maid Charlotte had hired to replace Sophie after her Ascension. Will gave her a horrified look before muttering, "Seems like something Bridget would do, though, doesn't it?" They chuckled quietly together.

"Shh!" Someone whispered from down the aisle. Cecily glared at her brother before turning back to the front. Tessa and Will exchanged smirks and cast their attention back on Charlotte.

She and the Silent Brother were turning to face the crowd. Again, Tessa saw a haze on the silent brothers cloak. She narrowed her eyes and looked closer. There was a light rainbow-ish cast all over the robed figure. She paused as her breath caught in her throat. She recognized that aura. She had seen it on herself, or other warlocks.

She jumped up on her seat and threw herself into the stage, whipping a dagger out from under her dress. She managed to push Charlotte away as she stabbed the Silent Brother in the chest.

"Tessa!" Charlotte exclaimed, confused and surprised, as were the many gasps from the Clave members. But Tessa payed no attention to her and wrenched her blade back. The silent brother looked at her, his face contorting, his sewn lips stretching and snapping, his face melting to nothing to show a great, blue dragon's head. The entire room was frozen, hands halfway to their weapons, staring at the Silent Brother with the demon head.

Suddenly, the rest of it changed, as if it were a chameleon adapting to its surroundings. The paper like robes turned to hard azure scales. A row of spikes appeared on its back. It reared back, baring it's fangs at Tessa. She pulled back her blade to strike again. It moved to block her hit, but Tessa was faster. The demon roared as her blade punctured its underbelly. It reared it's head and quickly brought it back forward. Tessa, pulling her dagger free, had no defence.

It's jaws bit into her side, and swift, crippling pain accompanied. Tessa only whimpered, but she heard a voice yell "Tess!" behind her. She grit her teeth determinedly and cleaved the demon's head in two. Her victory was brief for she only had a moment to look over at Charlotte's astonished face before darkness closed in around her.

"Tess!" Will shouted as he ran up behind her. He saw as the creature's fangs rip through Tessa's dress and into her skin. He saw her tremble slightly before cutting the demon's head in half. He saw her fall to the ground before he was there to catch her. She collapsed in a growing pool of ichor and blood. He dropped to his knees and drew her torso into his arms and pressed a hand into her side, attempting to staunch the flow of blood.

"Tess," he whispered "Tess. Please, hold on. Please."

She gasped and shook, her eyes glazing over. Her once-cream coloured dress was bubbling with acidic ichor, slowly staining a dark red.

"Will," Will glanced behind him to see Cecily and Charlotte. Cecy kneeled next to him, pulling out her stele. She grabbed Tessa's arm and began drawing runes: healing, blood replacement. The wound began to close over, but still Tessa shook and cried out, looking at something they could not see.

"What's wrong?" He asked Cecily. She looked at him with wide eyes that held no answers.

Poison.

The word filled his mind from another voice. He looked up to see the other Silent Brothers in a panic to reach the Silent City. He saw Jem's silver eyes staring at him like a beacon as he was swept up in the crowd. They were full of fear.

Will closed his own eyes for a moment, attempting to calm his breathing. He then stood and picked up his wife. Gabriel was with them now, he and Cecily pulling at Will's arm.

"Will-"

"Will, we have to go-"

"The Infirmary-"

"Gwilyam."

He glanced up at Charlotte who gave him a desperate look.

"Take her to the Institute, Will," she said. "Take her home."


	2. Chapter 2

Will burst through the Institute doors, Tessa in his arms, his clothes covered in blood. As he carried her down the hallway that led to the Infirmary, Cecily stormed in, hastily disposing of her ichor and blood stained gloves and hat. She pulled a blue ribbon out of her pocket and bound her hair up tightly.

"Chrissy!" She called, "Sophie, Gideon!" She heard Gabriel enter behind her as Gideon and Sophie came thundering down the stairs. They looked at her, shocked. Sophie kept looking from the blood trailing down the hallway to the crimson tinge coating the hem of Cecily's dress.

"Blood," she almost whispered, "Who's blood?" Cecily and Gabriel exchanged a pained look.

"It's-" Gabriel faltered. For all of his qualms about Will, he had grown fond of both Will and Tessa over the years. "It's Tessa's."

"Come quickly," Sophie said as she beckoned Chrissy, Cecily and Gabriel to the closet by the Infirmary. She too had tied her hair up and out of the way. Efficiently, she opened the closet and donned the white maid's apron from a life she thought she had left behind. She handed towels to Cecily. "Bring those down to them." Sophie said, gesturing to where Will and Tessa were down the hall. Turning to Gabriel, she ordered, "You, summon the Silent Brothers, they need to get here immediately-"

"No, we can't," Gabriel interrupted, "Charlotte told me they would have all gone underground, one of them was just found out as a demon, after all," Sophie paled slightly and bit her lip. Sensing her apprehension, Gabriel started down the hall to Will's office. "I'll send a fire message to Charlotte, she'll know what to do," he said hurriedly, before disappearing around the corner. Sophie and Chrissy exchanged worried glances before returning to the cupboard.

Will. Will was walking towards her. Tessa smiled and approached him warmly. They embraced and she inhaled him from the crook of his neck. Will pulled back, but kept her in his hold. She gazed lovingly up at him, carefully studying every hair and trying to memorize the precise blue of his eyes. She felt as though she had not seen him for a long time.

As if pulled together by a magnet, they leaned forward and kissed. It captivated their entire beings, as if every fiber of their bodies were caught up in one action. Colorful lights burst behind Tessa's eyes, mimicking the fireworks Nate had taken her to on the boardwalk, she had stood in awe watching the color explode over the river. She stood like that now, rooted to the spot.

Finally, what felt like hours later, they broke apart. Gasping slightly, Tessa breathed out,

"I love you,". His smile grew almost sad and he let go of her. Confused, she watched Will take a step back from her, as if waiting for something. "Will?" Slowly, a phenomenon took hold of him, slowly at first and it took her a moment to catch on.

His hair gradually turned from pitch black to gray. His indigo eyes dulled slightly, small wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes and mouth. Tessa's eyes widened: he was aging. Faster now, gray hair turned to white and the wrinkles grew. "No," Tessa called despondently. She knew that one day this would come, that Will would age and die and she would not, but had expected, counted on, having years together. But now, here was Will in front of her, turning frail and transparent.

Maintaining the same sad smile, Will slumped forward on weak legs that could not support him. Moving quickly, Tessa reached out to catch him, sinking to the floor with him cradled in her arms. "No," she whispered, brushing thin hair from his forehead, "No Will, we had more time, we.." she trailed off, tears pooling in her eyes.

But then, Tessa watched, horrified, as Will's skin crumpled and dissolved into the air like paper. "No!" she screamed, "No, no!". His fingers and then hands turned to stumps, his features softening until they disappeared. The last thing that remained was his eyes staring up at her, full of love, but they too faded to nothing. Tessa was left sat on the floor clutching a pile of clothes. She began to sob, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Will!" She cried "No, please! Will! Will!"


	3. Chapter 3

Will walked tiredly down the hall towards the nursery. He had been sitting with Tessa for what had seemed like hours. She had shook like a leaf, whimpering slightly. Eventually, she had fallen asleep, but Will would not relinquish his clasp on her hand until Sophie had convinced him to check on Lucie and James.

He opened the door to see Cecily putting Lucie in her crib. At the sound of the door, she whipped her head up.

"Will," she said hopefully, wordlessly asking about Tessa. Will hesitated before shaking his head minisculely. Cecily sighed and walked towards him. She squeezed his arm and offered him a sad smile that he half-heartedly returned.

As his sister exited the room quietly, Will crossed the room to his children. Will picked Lucie up from her bassinet and held her against his chest. She babbled as if she knew something was wrong. He sat down on the bed next to James. James, only two, couldn't form the words he wanted to express and tears began to well up in his eyes.

"Mum," he managed to mutter, "Something's wrong with Mum," Having only been able to keep it together, Will's heart broke in two at the sight of his son crying. He squeezed his eyes shut as a single tear rolled down his cheek. Shifting Lucie to one arm, Will put the other around James.

"Jamie," he comforted, "Mum'll be alright, I… I promise". James looked up at him with a tear-stained face, his golden eyes narrowing.

"You promise?" he asked. Will smiled slightly, wishing Tessa could see their son's fierce face.

"Yes," He said solemnly, "Yes James, I promise." Jamie sniffled before curling into the curve of Will's arm. He ruffled Jamie's hair and kissed Lucie's head softly.

Suddenly, a terrible scream pierced the silence.

"Will!" It was Tessa. Will paled before hurriedly placing Lucie back in her cradle and telling Jamie to watch his sister. He tore down the hallway to the sickbay. He could hear her screams getting louder as he got nearer.

"Will!", she cried, over and over. He burst through the the door to see Tessa writhing in agony, screaming as Sophie pressed a cloth to her forehead. Tessa was covered in a film of sweat, her hair wild, her hands clutching the sheets.

Will couldn't help but think back to a time not too long ago, when Tessa had changed into the Angel Ithuriel. It had cause heavenly fire to run through her veins, making her see things, calling out for a fiancé who couldn't come back. But unlike now, the angel's power was not a serious danger. As Brother Enoch had predicted, it had left her system after a couple of days.

But this time, it was not harmless and there were no Silent Brothers, not even Magnus Bane, who had traveled to France. As he rushed to Tessa's side, he wondered frantically what, if anything, he could do for Tessa. Will was not prepared to break his promise to Jamie.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, soooooooo sorry for not uploading in so long! I went through a lot of things and kind of lost my writing passion, but I'm trying to revive it! Enjoy the chapter and please review! -**

Will carefully put Lucie into her bassinet. It had taken a while for her to calm down, but she was finally sleeping soundly, as was Jamie, in the cot next to her. Jamie had adamant about staying with his baby sister, warbling on in broken speech about responsibility and protection so much that Will had to let them sleep near each other.

Closing the door as quietly as he could, Will leaned against the weathered wall, breathing deeply. He closed his eyes, only to see Tessa's bloody form falling to the ground. He squeezed his eyes tighter and opened them again. All he saw now was the worn floor in front of him.

Will straightened up, walking as though possessed, until he found himself in the library. He looked up at the numerous volumes towering above his head. He trailed over to the seats in front of the fireplace. Although the fire wasn't lit,from the dwindling light outside Will could still see the book Tessa had left on the table last night. He closed his eyes again, but instead of seeing Tessa's immobile form, he saw her face, illuminated by the fire the night before.

She had been reading _Oliver Twist_ , claiming homesickness for the books she read in her youth. Will had teased her, telling her of so many better poets that she could read instead, to which she hit him softly with the book, acting offended. They had grinned at each other for a second too long, gazing intently. Tessa had laid the book on the table separating them and had softly made her way to sit on his lap. His hands came up automatically around her, holding her tight to him. She dipped in and kissed him, softly, sweetly. Will's hands moved from her back to cup her face tenderly and smiled into the kiss.

He opened his eyes again, clutching the book to his chest, tears dripping off his cheeks, wetting the pages below. Will collapsed into the chair under him, sobbing quietly. He couldn't lose her. He didn't know how he would be able to wake up in the morning without knowing she was sleeping soundly beside him, how he would be able to look at their children again without seeing her, how he would be able to even set foot in the library or their bedroom or the attic without thinking of her. The sobs wracked through him, shaking his shoulders. The book had slid to the floor and his hands went to his head, twisting in his hair so he had something to hold onto. He sat there until he realized the slim hand on his shoulder. He stiffened, his warrior instincts not forgotten in his grief, but before he could reach for the knife in his belt, a voice in his head murmured comfortingly,

 _It's me, William,_

Will whipped around in his seat to see Jem, luminescent in his Silent Brother robes. His breath caught in his throat, gripping the hand tightly.

"How did you get here?" he asked his former parabatai. Jem reached up to push back his low hood, revealing his slim cheeks, branded with stark black marks, and dark silver eyes.

 _There are secret entrances to the Silent City. I slipped out before they were sealed._

Will sighed, relieved that Jem was there, for he needed someone who would understand the degree to which he loved and needed Tessa.

"James…" he faltered, tears springing in his eyes again.

Jem hesitated, his eyes full of love and compassion.

 _How is she?_

Will knew how much desperation lay behind his words, how worried Jem would be for Tessa. Will longed to comfort him, to tell him everything would be alright, but he choked on his consolement, harsh sobs replacing it.

"I-I don't _know_ , Jem," he gasped out, "I was so worried when I saw the blood, but then she started s-screaming, and I couldn't _do_ anything and I-I.." His words were encapsulated by his bawls. Jem crossed over in front of him, and held his friend in his strong, lithe arms. Will leaned into him, grateful to have someone to hold onto. As Will's cries shook them both, Jem did not let go.

 _I know, Will,_ He whispered, _I know_

When Will's sobs died out, he sat up, wiping his face, but Jem stayed crouched in front of him.

"What do we do?" He asked, voice hoarse, "Do you even know what kind of demon it was?"

 _It was an Incubus Demon,_ Jem replied.

"Never heard of it,"

 _They're very rare. They..._ Jem hesitated again _Their poison causes the victim to faul prey to their worst nightmares. If untreated, it causes people to go mad,_

Will pulled back, his face paling. So that's what Tessa was going through, her nightmares. Why she had called out for him so desperately…

He stood up, pulling Jem up with him. He stalked across the library, searching for the section that elaborately described every demon that was. He picked up a large, dusty off the shelf and threw it to Jem, who caught it easily.

"We better go quickly then, and find a cure," He said, pulling another book out for himself. He was a few pages in when Jem interrupted his thoughts.

 _Will, you have to be ready to do anything to find a cure. You do understand that?_

His tone was apprehensive. Will smiled sadly.

"James, I think you and I both know the lengths we would go to for her," he said quietly. Jem returned his smile, nodded and opened his book.


End file.
